Boat-propelling means



Patented leb. 2, 1926.

entre A stare Joran rnoivnn, or cnicas-o, innrnors. j

Bcar-rnornennve Means.

Application 'filed February 10, 1925.` vSerial No. 8,122.'

To all @clima t may concern.' l

lle. it known that l, Jorrit Ptovna, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented certain new and nseful lmproveinents in loalllropelling Means, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to boat propelling i i s, the invention having for an object the provision of a series of propeller wheels of novel construction and having propulsion elements that may he moved into and ont of the water as desired.

'iior farther con'iprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereofq reference will be had to the following description and accon'ipnnying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a plan view of a boat showingl the same provided with my improved propeller wheels.

Fig. 2 is a face view of one of the wheels.

Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view thereof.

ln the drawing the reference numeral indicates the hull of a ship that has mounted thereon, at the rear thereof, a transverse shaft 11. This shaft may receive rotation from any suitable means, a drive shaft 12 beingl shown as operatively connected thereto by means of the bevel gearing` indicated at 13. Upon this shaft are fixed three paddle wheels that dip into the water, there icing one of these wheels, indicated at 15, at the median line of the boat, and the others being` mounted on opposite ends of the shaft and being indicated at 1G in Fig. 1.

Each of these wheels comprises a hub element 20, having screwed o otherwise fixed thereto the inner ends of tabular spokes 21 onwvhieh the vanes or paddles 16 of the wheel are slidably mounted to move radially with respect to the wheel. Each vane is fixed its ends to sleeves 23 that freely encircle the spokes. Each of these sleeves has mounted in a recess therein a pair of spring pressed pawls 24, 24 that bear on the adjacent spoke, there being a pawl at each end of the sleeve, the respective pawls facing in opposite directions. Each spoke is formed with a pair of radially spaced notches 25, 25 into which the pawls at times selectively project and which serve to retain the paddles in radially adjusted positions.

Slidable within each tubular spoke 21 is "a rod=28 that `has a pair of cams 29, 29

formed on: one side thereof, which cams are adapted at'eertai'n times to engage the pawls lll tolift the same from the notches in the' spoke. These roes bear at `their inner ends on a pair of circular lwedge members that are located within thehnb element of the wheel 2O and that are adapted to be moved.longitudinally therein, the rods v28 being pressed against the wedge members by means -of expansionspring such as 33 that bear on the outer-ends of the rods. To `move the wedge members 32 `longitudinally in the heb of thew reel, in Yorder to bringthe rise or fall thereof under the rods 21, these wedge inen'ibers are fixed on a rod 35 that extends through an axial boring 36 in the shaft 11 and las fixed thereto a transverse pin 37 that projects through longitudinal slots 38 in the said shaft 11 and is fixed at its end to a collar 39 freely encircling this shaft, this collar being adapted to be engaged by any ordinary lever element 40 fixed on a rock shaft l1 mounted in the hull of the ship.

llJo-rmally the paddles 16 lie adjacent the extremities of the spokes, being prevented from sliding downward when at the top of the wheel by the pawls 24 engaging in the notches 25. lf it is desired to throw one paddle wheel out of commission, as when the vessel is to be turned around, or for any other reason, the wedge members 32 are shifted to allow the rods 28 to move inward under the pressure of the springs 33, thereby releasing the pawls 24 and allowing the wheel paddles to slide inward when at the top of the wheel, the paddles being `retained against falling outward when at the bottom of the wheel by engagement of the pawls 24 j in the notches 25. When the paddles are to be restored to their normal position the wedge members 32 are again shifted to move the rods 28 outward, freeing the pawls 24 and thereby allowing the paddles to slide to their outer position when at the bottom of the wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows;

1. In a ship, a paddle wheel comprising spokes, sleeves slidably mounted on said spokes, paddles attached to said sleeves,

pawls on said sleeves for retaining the same in radially adjusted positions on said spokes, and devices for releasing said pawls.

2. In a ship, a paddle Wheel comprising spokes, sleeves slidably mounted on said spokes, paddles attached to said sleeves, paivls on said sleeves for retaining the same in radially adjusted positions on said spokes, and devices for releasing .said paWls, said devices comprising rods extending through the said spokes.

3. In a ship, a paddle Wheel comprising spokes, sleeves slidably mounted on said spokes, paddles attached to said sleeves, pawls on said sleeves for retaining the same in radially adjusted positions on said spokes, and devices for releasing said pawls, said devices comprising rods extending through the said spokes, and Wedge members movable axially in Wheel hub for moving said rods in one direction.

4. In a ship, a paddle Wheel comprising spokes, sleeves slidably mounted on said spokes, paddles attached to said sleeves, pawls on said sleeves for retaining the same in radially adjusted positions on said spokes,

and devices for releasing said pawls, said devices comprising rods extending through Vthe said spokes, and Wedge members movableaxially in wheel hub for moving said rods in one direction, and springs engaged with the outer ends of said rods for moving the same in opposite directions to said Wedge members* 5. In a ship, a paddle Wheel comprising spokes, sleeves slidably mounted on said spokes, paddles attached to said sleeves,

paivls on said sleeves for retaining the same in radially adjusted positions oii said spokes, and devices for releasing said paivls, said .devices comprising rods extending through signature.

JOHN PLONKA. 

